Begin Again
by MoxieChick
Summary: A compilation of one shots about the Courier's interactions with her new companions in Dead Money, and possibly the effects of her visit to the Sierra Madre on them as well as her. WARNING: Spoilers for Dead Money. A/N: fixes to chpt. 5 added.
1. Wait and See

A/N: This chapter focuses on Dean Domino, so the title of this chapter is from Fats Domino's song Wait and See. Domino may have been part of the inspiration for Dean (as well as Dean Martin). More chapters coming soon dealing with Christine, Dog/God, and possibly one more about Moxie's return to the Strip and reconnecting with Swank...we'll see. Please R&R.

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"You know this would go a lot smoother if you just avoided the Ghost people instead of going at them head on…just a thought." Dean took a drag off his cigarette as the woman in front of him worked at hacking the unconscious Ghost Trapper into pieces. Once finished Moxie stood and shrugged at the ghoul, her head spun and her lungs burned from the red haze of the city.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that there are more of them than just what we see. Keep thinking I can thin them out…" She wiped the bear trap fist absently on her jumpsuit and looked around to make sure they hadn't attracted any more of the Villa's inhabitants, but paused as something caught her eye.

"Well you can't." Dean snapped. "And the sooner you get that through your head the sooner we can get these "bow ties"….hey!"

The coattails on his tux fluttered slightly as he bounded towards Moxie, realizing just a little too late what she'd been staring at. The courier was hunched down by a section of wall, inspecting a glowing handprint, looking over she saw a briefcase and inspected it.

"Another "gift" from the ghost people?" She turned her head to look at her companion, who did not seem pleased.

"No. I did that. You never know when you'll find yourself in a…tight spot. So I've left myself some supplies here and there, in case of an emergency." He wanted to grab it and hide it again before Moxie put her hands all over it, but Dean was, surprised, when she retracted the hand that had been reaching for the latch.

"Oh, sorry…" Moxie smiled sheepishly and stood.

"What? Not going to call this an "emergency" and take what's inside? I'm not stupid, just because I'm a ghoul doesn't mean I don't know what supplies to get." Dean huffed.

"No…just that it's your stash, and not mine to take." She smirked when Dean seemed to study her critically for a moment. "You're the one who went through the trouble of gathering the supplies and hiding them in the first place, not exactly fair of me to take what's yours."

"You won't last long in the Villa playing "fair" Partner…but I do appreciate you giving credit where credit is due." The ghoul drawled as he brushed past the courier and took the briefcase. With a loud 'click' he opened it and took out a few supplies, handing a bottle of water to Moxie.

"Thanks." The courier felt a little thrill of triumph as she took a drink. She was slowly, very slowly, but surely making progress with her new companion. Dean was quick witted and sharp tongued, but she could tell by the way he acted at times that he had a fragile ego, and that bruising it would not bode well for her once the collars were off.

They took shelter in a ruined café, making sure to block the door to keep out any unwanted guests, and settled in on opposite sides of a booth to rest a moment. Moxie sipped at the water Dean had given her and looked around the café's interior, admiring the style of the Villa, despite its less than pleasant weather and locals.

"So…Partner, you said you were a courier? Not a glamorous job, but we can't all be stars." Dean smirked. "Where did you reside before Vera's voice called you here?"

"New Vegas."

"_New _Vegas?" The ghoul frowned. "Hmm…so House managed to keep the place standing after all."

"Most of it anyway." Moxie smiled, but Dean noticed a trace of sadness in her eyes. "Reno's still there too, it's…not as nice as Vegas, but it manages."

"Let me guess, they call it _New_ Reno." Moxie nodded in reply. "Hah!" Dean shook his head, recalling for a moment his time spent performing in those cities, before the Sierra Madre, Sinclair, Vera, and the bombs. They weren't unpleasant memories, and something about the courier reminded him of a dame he'd known in Vegas, but he needed to stay focused.

"Well, better get this show on the road, don't want the director of this little play to get angry do we?"

"No, I don't think we do." Moxie drained the rest of her water and stood, taking a minute or so more to loot the café of anything useful and awkwardly buy some stims off the hologram behind the counter. Dean moved the blockade from in front of the door and opened it just a hair to see if more ghost people were around, and let out a small sigh of relief to see the street was deserted.

"Coast is clear, for now. Better get a move on, Partner." He held the door open for the courier who nodded her thanks as she went through.

Dean watched the as Moxie looked around for any locals and then at her Pipboy to see where they needed go. The ghoul had to give her credit, she sure didn't seem like much at first, but he felt that if they actually made it into the casino and met this…Elijah, that the courier was going to put on one hell of a show.


	2. A Message

A/N: This one's a little longer and a little crappier, sorry. Focuses on Christine and her possibly being Veronica's lover. Also a little more Moxie/Swank ramblings...still trying to figure out the timing of all of this, especially since there are more DLC's to come. Went way off the song time line and picked "A Message" by Coldplay for this one. Please R&R.

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The Villa was slowly becoming inhabited by more ghost people, each time the courier returned to retrieve another one of her companions there were more of them, waiting. They still stayed clear of the fountain, the image of Vera keeping them away, and Moxie felt a small weight lift off her shoulders as she approached the area and saw that Christine was still there.

"Well, looks like you're next." Moxie was trying to be friendly but winced a little when she realized how wrong the sentence sounded, given their situation. The woman before her seemed to understand though, giving a short, quick nod of her bald and scarred head.

"Give me a minute first, please, after getting Dean to his spot I got hit hard by some of the ghost fuckers." The courier sat and pulled a bottle of water out of her pack. Christine watched with interest as Moxie gulped the water greedily.

"So...those scars on your head…the Autodoc couldn't have made those…." Moxie ventured, studying the jagged lines on her companion's head. Christine nodded reluctantly, agreeing and confirming Moxie's thoughts that they were probably old wounds. "Still don't understand why it shaved you bald though…"

That statement set of a flurry of motions from the mute woman. It took the courier a moment to understand.

"Oh, you were already bald?" Moxie scrunched up her face in confusion as Christine again made exaggerated motions. The only thing she caught was when the woman made the shape of a familiar symbol in the air.

"Oh! Brotherhood of Steel, you were a…Scribe?" She smiled when Christine nodded, looking slightly impressed. "How in the hell did you get all the way…" Moxie stopped for a second, remembering who held control over their collars and his own affiliation with the Brotherhood. "Elijah…you were looking for him?"

Christine nodded again.

"Why?"

The mute scribe made the motion of separating two things from each other, then pointing at herself. Moxie felt a small tug of familiarity at the back of her mind.

"He…cut you off from someone? Family? Husband?" While the first part received another nod the other two were answered in the negative, Christine shook her head a little harder at the word husband.

"Girlfriend?" The answering motion this time seemed to say that it wasn't quite the right word. "You were more than girlfriends…you were lovers." Moxie felt a little insulted when Christine looked surprised. "Give me a little credit."

Christine raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"I know…I know how important a loved one can be." Moxie sighed. She turned herself away from Christine and reached into her shirt, feeling her fingers brush against the photo in her bra, glad that Elijah had at least had the decency to let her keep her undergarments. Pulling the photo out she handed it to Christine, a sad smile on her lips as the mute studied the photo with interest.

Moxie had been a little annoyed when she found out that Veronica had sneaked a picture of her and Swank with the camera Michael Angelo had given her, but she had to admit it was a nice photo. Moxie was perched on the edge of the Ace's stage with Swank standing beside her. They were facing each other, leaning in a little like they were about to embrace each other, eyes half lidded and smiles playing on the lips…just a passing moment that Veronica managed to catch.

Christine smiled a little as she pointed at Moxie in the photo then pointed back at her face, specifically her smile.

"Yes, he makes me…happy." The courier turned her gaze to the ground for a moment. "He's part of why I'm here." She shrugged at Christine's questioning look. "I'm not sure how I mean that, but…there's a war coming to New Vegas, and like it or not I got dragged into the middle of it."

Christine took the courier's pause as an opportunity to make a line between Moxie and Swank in the photo with a questioning glance.

"No, we're not on opposite sides. He's sort of neutral….and I think that's part of why I love him. He's not a part of the two forces tearing the Mojave apart." Moxie smirked. "But like I said I am a part of that war. I want the outcome that's the best for Vegas, and for him…it might cause conflict between us, but I think he'll understand."

The mute women looked at her skeptically then pointed again at Swank's image, then at Moxie herself and then gestured around them.

"What does that have to do with me being here?" Christine nodded. "I heard the broadcast…remembered the stories…and thought that maybe it held something that could help me with the war…" Moxie laughed bitterly. "I guess that doesn't make me much different than Elijah after all, but…" The courier sighed as her companion waited, eyebrow cocked.

"But he can't let go…and I think…I hope, that the difference between me and him is that I don't care anymore what's in the vault. All I want is to go home, to him." She reached out and took the photo from Christine, looking sadly her lover's image, knowing she'd give anything to be in Vegas with Swank at that moment. Moxie had to keep herself from jumping when a hand was placed gently on her shoulder. She stared up into Christine's eyes for a moment, and the thing that had tugged at her memory before finally clicked.

"Veronica." She breathed, not at all surprised when Christine's gentle grip on her shoulder turned into a vice. "That's who Elijah cut you off from…she told me about him."

Christine placed her free hand on Moxie's other shoulder and looked as if she desperately wanted to speak. She tried to slowly mouth the words and the courier thought that she understood.

"How is she?"

The mute nodded, an eager glint in her eyes.

"She's doing well…right now she and Arcade are probably bugging the hell out of the others back at the Lucky 38…" Moxie let out a small laugh at the thought, feeling a small aching sensation at the thought of her friends. "She's still with the Brotherhood, but she and the Vegas chapter…had a falling out. So she's been traveling with me for a while."

Christine smiled a little and her body relaxed. Moxie could tell that she was relieved to know her former lover was doing well, but she knew that one always wondered if formers lovers ever thought of them, especially when something other than a lack of love caused the split.

"She…still thinks of you." The courier felt her face flush a little, knowing she was revealing Veronica's confidence. "You said you don't want to leave this place, even if we do make it through this alive, but… but I thought you should know that she still cares."

The mute woman looked truly touched for a moment, looking away from the courier and gathering herself before mouthing her thanks. Then she shook her head a little and tapped her wrist, the clock was still ticking, and they had been sitting around long enough.

"You're right. I'd better get you to your position." Moxie put the photo back in her bra and stood. She led the way towards their destination, but felt her chest ache with the knowledge of what had become of Veronica's lover. Christine wouldn't want her to tell Veronica what had really driven the two apart, or what had become of her, it wouldn't change anything…just cause more pain.


	3. For Heaven's Sake

A/N: This one is really short since it's hard to write for Dog/God and the moment I chose to use for this chapter. Don't know why but the song for this one was "For Heaven's Sake" by Thriving Ivory.

* * *

"Dog doesn't wan't to unremember you, may forget you…"

Moxie felt her chest tighten at the Nightkin's words. She had managed to calm her companion and keep him from hurting her and destroying the casino, but now she faced the greater task of trying to heal is shattered psyche. Dog and God had been battling for control when she'd arrived in the Sierra Madre's kitchen, and now Moxie felt it was time that they stopped fighting and worked together.

"We will forget almost all that has happened here. You'll be alone, at the old man's mercy, like Dog…like me.

"Not having your help doesn't matter if this heals you." The courier placed a hand on the Nightkin's arm.

God nodded, one side of his mouth was lifted in a sad, ironic smile.

The Courier watched as the Nightkin merged the two personalities raging inside him. The hunger and control that had fought so long and hard against each other were finally becoming one. Dog's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment before focusing again. He looked around, seemingly for the first time.

"Are you alright?" Moxie reached out but stopped when he looked at her.

"Who…who are you? What is this place?" Dog's voice had changed yet again, but now, now it seemed softer, a mix of Dog and God. The courier smiled sadly.

"I think it would take too long to explain."

"I feel as I've woken up. I don't know you, but I feel like I do, and a feeling of gratitude." The Nightkin smiled weakly. "I…forgive me, I…I'm wounded." The smile faded as he looked down at his left arm and lifted the other to the chain around his neck. "This chain…this bear trap on my arm…how did I even get this far with these wounds? The pain is excruciating, I…I need to rest for a moment."

"If you get the strength to leave, do so – quickly." Moxie helped him sit on the floor and thought for a moment, even if he did manage to escape there were few places he could go.

"When you do leave, if you manage to find your way out and around New Vegas, head west into the mountains, you'll find a place called Jacobstown where there are other like yourself…tell Marcus that the Courier sent you." She smiled when Dog nodded weakly.

"Thank you…for whatever you have done. I will remain here, need to get my strength back." The Nightkin leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

Moxie made sure that he was only resting before heading to the exit. Elijah would probably scold her for letting her companion live, but she didn't really give a damn anymore what the old bastard wanted. She just prayed that her friend could escape, and seek refuge in Jacobstown where he could finally find some peace.


	4. Let Go

A/N: This one was a bitch but finally done. I really wanted there to be some interaction between the Courier and her companions after leaving the Sierra Madre vault, especially if you "save" all your companions, so there's a little bit here and some more will be mentioned in the last chapter.

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Last thing Moxie remembered were the elevator doors closing behind her as the bomb collar around her neck beeped almost as fast as her heart. She wasn't sure that she'd actually pulled it off, but she doubted that the Sierra Madre hotel was hell, even if it felt like it at times.

"Good too see you pulled through, Partner." A familiar voice drawled, Dean stood over Moxie and held out a hand to help her off the elevator floor. Christine stood a few feet away, smiling sadly.

"Yeah…thanks for the assist, both of you." The courier looked from one companion to the other with as much gratitude as she could muster considering how drained she felt, two days with no sleep (excluding the part where security had knocked her out as well as the panic induced fainting in the elevator), and the constant threat of death had taken the strength out of her.

"Did you get him?" Christine asked quietly, she smiled when Moxie nodded, glad that she had put her trust in the courier.

"He's trapped down there anyways." Moxie sighed, she looked at Dean and knew she'd have to lie a little about the Sierra Madre's vault. The gold bars had been tempting, but after picking up just one the courier knew there was no possible way to get the gold out of the vault without getting herself killed in the process, either by Elijah, the bomb collar, or security.

"Trapped? You mean he's not dead?" The former Brotherhood knight grabbed Moxie and shook her.

"He can't get out Christine…the vault is a trap, a tomb of sorts."

"What? Dean gaped at the courier, for once the former lounge singer found himself speechless, and very glad that he had let Moxie head into the vault in his place.

"Sinclair knew what you were planning, so he made it so that if anyone but he or Vera accessed the vault's computer it would permanently seal the door." Moxie shrugged at the singer. "There wasn't anything down there except supplies meant for him and Vera." She turned back to Christine. "Elijah might live for a while yet, but that door will never open, sooner or later he will die down there."

Both women stared at each other; Dean watched them interestedly while Christine struggled with her emotions before finally sighing and nodding at Moxie. The courier gave a small smile in return before walking over to the bar and grabbing a bottle of wine.

"I don't know about you guys, but I could really use a fucking drink." The courier poured herself a glass then held the bottle out to her companions. Dean chuckled and Christine smirked as they joined Moxie in a silent toast to their hard earned freedom.


	5. Begin Again

A/N: This chapter was a bitch to finish, was going to have a little more with some Moxie/Swank interaction but I wanted to get it done before Honest Hearts, even if it was literally just before...

"One more night, and if that chica doesn't come crawling out of that bunker by morning, I'm going back to my shed." Raul shifted on his bedroll, trying his best to find a comfortable position. It wasn't easy considering they were lying on an incline, and having slept like this for the past two nights had made the ghoul considerably grumpy.

"If she's not out of there by then maybe we should stick some dynamite under the hatch and see if we can blow the damn thing open." Cass grumbled. The former caravan owner looked at their leader by default for his thoughts on the situation, but Boone just grunted and kept starring at the bunker's entrance.

It had been three days since Moxie had entered the bunker, the hatch locking in place behind her. They were making a few stops around the Mojave before heading to the Fort to take on Ceasar, and while Boone just wanted to get there and blow the fucker's head off Moxie had insisted on stopping and helping the NCR where she could in preparation for the Dam. Boone also suspected that the courier wanted to be sure that the NCR would be able to handle the Legion if things didn't go well at the Fort.

After making sure things were going well enough with Forlorn Hope (moral in the camp having increased dramatically after Moxie had helped them take back Nelson) the courier had received a strange radio signal. It was an invitation to the Sierra Madre, a place Boone had only heard of around the campfire during his time with the NCR. He doubted the place was real, and warned Moxie that it was probably a trap, a concern confirmed after she had been locked inside the bunker, with no way for them to help her.

The sniper was about to speak when the hatch turned and lifted. Cass and Boone jumped to their feet while Raul, caught off guard, tried to roll over and use the slant of the ground to stand but ended up on all fours in front of the hatch, face to face with a beat to hell Nighkin.

"Shit, more super mutants!" The ghoul scrambled back a few feet and reached for his gun.

"Raul, stop." Boone growled, he wasn't used to giving orders but he knew how to sound threatening enough to make people listen, and while Raul still held the gun in his hand, he didn't fire.

"Please, don't shoot, I don't mean any harm." The Nightkin waited a moment and eyed the group warily, waiting until they took on less threatening posture before continuing. "I…don't suppose you could point me in the direction of Jacobstown? I was given instructions to head there once I made my way to back to the Mojave." Dog forced a smile but he doubted it did much to lessen his alarming appearance.

"Who told you to go there?" Boone sat on his haunches, trying to get Raul and Cass (who was eyeing the Nightkin with extreme distrust) to relax a little so they could find out what happened to their MIA leader.

"She said to tell...Marcus… that the courier sent me." Dog saw the trio fully relax and was happy to see the ghoul holster his weapon.

"Well, is she down there with you?" Cass marched up to the Nightkin and pushed his head to the side. "Get your ass up here. We've been out here two fucking nights waitin' on you!"

"She's not down there…at least not in the bunker." Dog gently pushed the red headed woman aside to make room for him to get out of the bunker's entrance.

"What do you mean she's not down there?" Cass stuck her head down into the hole to look around. "It's a bunker for God's sake."

"It leads to the Sierra Madre…" The nighkin shuttered involuntarily, not entirely sure why since he had left the place shortly after awakening in the casino's kitchen, everything before that was…hazy. "The courier saved me from that place…I only hope she was able to escape as well." Dog looked at the hatch sadly and wondered if the courier had been able to break free of the Sierra Madre.

"Can we reach it from in there?" Boone didn't feel too keen on going to retrieve Moxie from a supposedly deadly casino, but the sooner she got back to the Mojave the sooner they could take down Caesar.

"No, she was brought there by…a trap." Dog shook his head slowly at the flash of memory, the feeling of hunger. "I'd suggest waiting just inside, there's supplies and a bed." He jumped back as the ghoul and woman made a break for the opening, pushing each other to try and get to the promised bed first. With an 'oof' Cass hit the dirt while Raul disappeared into the bunker.

"Don't think this is over old man." The redhead growled as she followed him down the hole while Boone and Dog stood in silence watching the odd scene before them. The sniper sighed and covered his face before turning to the Nightkin.

"Jacobstown is up in the mountains west of Vegas, but you'll need to head northwest to reach the road to get there." He nodded in the general direction of Vegas.

"Thank you." Dog began to turn away, but paused, "If the courier does make it back, tell her …Dog… said thank you, again." He waited until Boone nodded before making his way towards Jacobstown.

Boone watched the Nightkin leave for a moment then turned to hatch, debating on latching it again and letting Raul and Cass wait for the courier inside (bickering over the bed the entire time he was sure) while he waited outside. However he knew it was more likely that Cass would grow impatient and try to go search for Moxie instead of staying put like the Nightkin had told them to, so he gave another sigh and climbed down the ladder into the bunker, making sure to put something under the hatch to keep it from shutting them in.

The scent of death hit Boone's nostrils instantly, making him reach for his gun before locating the source of the smell. Across the stairway leading down further into the bunker was the corpse of a man. As Boone moved closer he could tell that the man had been dead for a while, his head was missing and it looked to the former soldier like the work of a bomb collar.

"Get off!" Cass's voice echoed off the walls from below and Boone moved away from the body, obviously his companions hadn't run into any trouble yet so he assumed the rest of the bunker was clear. He followed the sound of Raul and Cass's bickering to a side room, the two were trying to shove each other off a small bed, with no clear winner.

"You'd let an old man sleep on the cold floor?" Raul gave a hard shove to Cass's ribs but she managed to keep a knee on the bed and her grip on the ghoul's shoulders.

"Why don't you be a gentleman and let the woman have the bed?" Cass shot back.

"Have you guys been arguing like this the whole time I've been gone?"

Cass and Raul stopped mid struggle and stared up at Moxie. She was wearing brown and tan security armor and had what looked like a bear trap strapped to her arm.

"Yes." Boone replied, he noticed the dark circles under his friend's eyes and reached for her bag, getting little resistance from Moxie as she let it slip off her shoulder into his hand. "I think we should let her have the bed tonight."

"What?" Cass exclaimed. "At least tell us where the hell you've been the past three days while we've been out there sitting on our asses waiting on you."

The courier shook her head, taking off the bear trap arm and kicking off her boots before collapsing onto the bed, reveling in the feel of a pillow under her head.

"Tomorrow, Cass, I'll tell you tomorrow." Moxie yawned and pulled the thin blanket over her before the world went dark and her mind went blank.

When the courier finally awoke she could feel every muscle in her body ache with fatigue from the strain put on them the past few days. It took a moment for her head to clear and remember that she had finally left the Sierra Madre. Moxie resisted the urge to stretch and continued to lay and think about Dean and Christine. She had left them at the resort the day before, saying a short and awkward goodbye to both, hoping to eventually see Dean make his way to Vegas, but knew she'd never see Christine again.

"Dog sends his regards."

Moxie turned over and instantly regretted the sudden movement as her body ached in protest. Boone was sitting against the wall nearby while Raul and Cass still slept on the floor.

"So, he made it after all." The courier sat up slowly and stretched. "Did you point him the direction of Jacobstown?" Boone nodded in reply. "Good…" Moxie was about to ask how that little meeting went but she heard something that made her pause. "What is that?"

"That radio in the other room has been repeating some message since you got here." Boone shrugged.

The familiar voice of Vera drifted down the hall, Moxie followed it and listened as the voice that had led her to the Sierra Madre bid her farewell, and talked of what it really meant to let go, begin again. She had to agree with the woman that the things that really mattered were the people and places you love, and she smirked to herself as she began to hum Vera's song, thinking that a new beginning was exactly what Vegas needed.


End file.
